Separable fastener



Dec. 16, 1930. s. H. NORTON SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed May 6, 1927lNyiNTOR ATTORNEY during the life of the fastener.

in which Patented Dec.. 16, 19:30

PATENT. orrlcs SAMUEL HARRY NORTON,

FABTENER COMPANY, OF MEAIDVILLE, P

SYLVANIA OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA,' ASSIGNOB TO HOOKLEBB ENNSYLVANIA,A CORPORATION 01 rm- SEPABABLE msrmrna Application as m a, 1927. Serialno. 189,198.

This invention relates to separable interlocking fasteners and has forits object to provide improved means for separatm fastener stringers atboth ends, and for facllitat- 5 ing reengagement with the interlockingmembers in their proper relative positions.

According to a feature of the invention,

the stringers are provided at their lower extremities with interlockingconnecting mem- 19 bers which serve to start the opposed interlockingmembers proper sequence brought together. vent the stringers intoengagement in the when the stringers are These members also prefromseparating at the i 5 bottom when the fastener is closed. When thefastener is opened the stringer carrying one series of interlockingmembers, together with its associated connecting member, may be slippedthrough the slider and released 20 from contact with the rest of thefastener.

The members comprising the separable connecting device of this inventionare simple in'construction, efficient in operation and capable ofwithstanding continuous hard usage These connecting members may bestamped from flattened wire similar to that employed in the manufactureof the standard interlocking ,fastener members, thus reducing the costof '50 production to a minimum.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which similar reference characters designate correspondingparts in the several views, and

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a separable fastener embodying the invention;Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the-fastener in position tobe opened or closed; a

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the slider having a hook portion for holding iton one stringer when the fastener is open at the bottom;

and

carrying interlocking members 12 arranged in staggered relation. Theslider 13 having diverging channels is movable up and down along thestringers by means of any suitable pull member (not shown) to close orrelease the opposed interlocking members.

Separable end connecting members 14 and 15 are mounted near the lowerends of stringers 10 and 11, respectively, and act as guides to startthe opposed interlocking members 12 into engagement in the proper order,and also serve to lock the stringers against openmg at the bottom whenthe fastener is closed. The connectin member 14, shown in Fig. 4,

includes clamping jaws 16 for clamping it on the corded edge of thestringer 10, a. plurality of angular teeth or projections 17, separatedby correspondingly shaped notches and a lower pro ection 18. Theconnecting member 15, shown in Fig. 5, includes clamping jaws 19 forclamping it on the corded edge of the stringer 11, a plurality ofangular teeth20, a recess 21 and a stop pin 22. The projections or teeth20 of the member 15 fit into and cooperate with the angular notchesbetween the teeth 17 on the adjacent edge of the member 14 when thefastener is being closed from the bottom, thereby starting the opposedinterlocking members 12 into engagement in their proper relativepositions, as shown in Fig. 1. When the connecting guide members are inengagement, as shown in Fig. 1, the projection 18 of the member 14 restswithin the recess 21 in the member 15, thereby preventing the fastenerfrom coming apart at the bottom.

The foreplate of the slider 13 is provided with a hook portion 23 whichrides into engagement with the stop pin 22 when the slider approachesthe lower limit of its travel. Hence, when the slider is in the lowerposition shown in Fig. 2, the hook portion 23 engages the stop pin 22and prevents the slider from falling off the stringer 11.

When the slider 13 is' moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to thelower position shown in Fig. 2, progressively disengaging the opposedinterlocking members 12, the

lowing the stringer 10 to be drawn through the split edge of the sliderso that the fastener is completely open at the bottom as well as at thetop. In this position, it will 5 be seen that the hook portion 23 of theslider enga es the stop pin 22 of the connecting mom or 15, so that theslider always remains on the stringer 11. The relative stiffness of thefastener tends to maintain the slider in this position until the twostringers are again brought together and the slider moved up- Wardly to'reengage the teeth of the connecting members and the interlockingmembers 12. The stringers preferably extend below the connecting members14 and 15 a sufficient distance to permit the operator to grasp the freeends of the stringers with one hand while actuating the slider with theother hand. This construction permits the mem ber 14 to be pulleddownwardly through the slider and held in cooperative engagement withthe member 15 when the slider begins its upward travel.

It will be obvious that the invention is not to be restricted to theprecise construction herein shown and described. Many of the details,such as the structure of the stringers, interlocking members and slider,will necessarily vary according to the particular uses for which thefastener is designed. The construction of the end connecting members mayalso vary widely within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is: 1. A separable fastener comprising a pair ofstringers having opposed series of interlocking members, a slidermovable along said stringers to engage and disengage saidl members, amember having a plurality of teeth mounted on one stringer, and a memberhaving a plurality of teeth mounted on the other stringer and arrangedto mesh with the teeth of said first mentioned member to guide saidinterlocking members into engagement in the proper sequence.

2. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposedseries of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers toengage and disengage said members, a connecting member having aplurality of teeth mounted on one stringer, a connecting member having aplurality of teeth mounted on the other stringer and arranged to meshwith the teeth of said first .mentioned connecting member to guide saidinterlocking members into engagement in the proper sequence, and meanson said connecting members cooperating to prevent the lat eralseparation of said stringers.

3. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposedseries of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers toengage and disengage said members, a connecting member having aplurality of teeth on one stringer, and a connecting upward member onthe other stringer insertable throughsaid slider and having a pluralityof teeth arranged to mesh with the teeth of said first mentionedconnecting member to properly position the interlocking members of onestringer relative to the interlocking members of the other stringer. Y

4. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposedseries of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers toengage and disengage said members, separable connecting members adjacenton the ends of said stringers each having a plurality of teeth on theirabutting edges cooperating with each other to properly position theinterlocking members of one stringer relative to the interlockingmembers of the other stringer, and means on one of said con- 5. Aseparable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposed seriesof interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers to engageand disengagesaid members, a connecting member on one stringer having aplurality of teeth and means to limit the movement of said slider in onedirection, and a connecting member on the other stringer insertablethrough said slider and having a plurality of teeth cooperating with theteeth of said first mentioned connecting member to properly position theinterlocking members of one stringer relative to the interlockingmembers of the other stringer.

6. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposedseries of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers toengage and disengage said members, a connecting member on one stringerhaving a plurality of teeth and a projection transverse to said teeth, aconnecting member on the other stringer having a plurality of teetharranged to mesh with the teeth of said first mentioned connectingmember to properly position the interlocking members of one stringerrelative to the interlocking members of the other stringer, and means onsaid slider for receiving the projection of said first mentionedconnecting member to limit the travel of said slider.

7. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposedseries of inter; locking members, a slider movable along said stringersto engage and disengage said members, a connecting member having aplurality of teeth adjacent the end of one stringer and a projectiontransverse to said teeth, a connecting member adjacent the end of theother stringer insertable through said slider and having a plurality ofteeth arranged to mesh with the teeth of said first mentioned connectingmember to properly position the interlocking members of one stringerrelative to the interlocking members of the other stringer, and means onsaid slider adapted to engage the projection on said first mentionedconnecting member to limit the travel of said slider in one direction.

8. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposedseries of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers toengage and disengage said members, separable connecting members adjacentthe lower ends of said strlngers to permit the stringers to beseparated, a stop pin on one of said connecting members, and a hook onsaid slider adapted to engage said stop pin to limit the travel of saidslider.

9. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposedseries of interlocking members, and separable connecting membersadjacent theends of said stringers, each having a plurality of teeth ontheir longitudinal edges adapted to interlock to properly position theinterlocking members of one stringer relative to the interlockingmembers of the other stringer.

10. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposedseries of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers toengage and disengage said members, a connectlng member having aplurality of teeth adjacent the end of one stringer and a :stop pintransverse to said teeth, a connecting member adjacent the end of theother stringer insertable through said slider and having a plurality ofteeth arranged to mesh with the teeth of said first mentioned connectingmember to properly position the interlocking members of one strin errelative to the interlocking members =-o the other stringer, and a hookon said slider adapted to engage said stop pin to limit the travel ofsaid slider.

Signed at Meadville,in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania,this 26th day of April A. D1927.

5 v SAMUEL HARRY NORTON.

